The Mexican Episcopal Conference has expressed deep sorrow and solidarity with the people of Benue State, Nigeria, following the brutal massacre of over 300 individuals on June 13 in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area.
In a strongly worded statement signed by Bishop Ramón Castro Castro, President of the Conference, and Bishop Héctor M. Pérez Villarreal, Secretary General, the Catholic bishops described the attack as an act of “inhuman violence” that “cries out to heaven.”
The massacre, which occurred while many victims were asleep, reportedly involved armed assaults, arson, use of bladed weapons, and summary executions. The Mexican Church leaders decried the senseless bloodshed and pledged spiritual support to the grieving community.
“The Mexican Episcopal Conference expresses its deepest dismay and sorrow over the massacre… where more than two hundred Christian brothers and sisters were brutally murdered,” the statement read. “These events… move us as a Church to raise a burning prayer for the eternal rest of our brothers and sisters… and for the consolation of the families torn apart by pain.”
In a gesture of solidarity, the bishops called on Catholic communities across Mexico to dedicate Eucharistic celebrations and holy hours in memory of the slain and in prayer for peace in Nigeria.
“We unite with our brother bishops in Nigeria and all the People of God who pilgrimage in Africa… to ask the Lord for the gift of peace and to strongly renew the call for an end to all war, persecution, and religious or ethnic violence,” they said.
The bishops also prayed for the conversion of “hearts hardened by hatred,” urging a renewed commitment to reconciliation, justice, and the dignity of human life.
“May this time of grace lead us to contemplate… the merciful face of Christ, Prince of Peace,” the statement concluded.
The heartfelt message comes amid global concern over rising violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where communities have faced repeated attacks fueled by ethnic, religious, and political tensions.
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